doth reign in the head magistrate ever since the Roman Catholic religion was set up, as aforesaid, and shall continue to the end of the world; they all being counted by the spirit but one beast, because they are all guided by one spirit of persecution and bloodshed, for religion sake. So that I declare, that this is the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seventh; that is his spirit runs through the seed of the seventh, and so it doth run through the bodies of these that are the eighth.

So that this spirit of the dragon, which is reason, the devil, who hath persecuted, and shed the blood of saints and martyrs of Jesus, for not worshiping false gods, that they may all go into perdition together, that is into eternal damnation.

VERSE 12. And the ten horns which thou sawest, are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet, but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These ten kings were inferior to the beast, and were under his dominions; for the beast was as it were an emperor, who had many kings under him. And these ten kings lived in kingdoms, but were not so established as that they could keep them against the beast's will, yet nevertheless if they would be obedient unto the beast and execute his will, he would give them power as kings one hour with himself, that was until they had extirpated the name of Jesus out of the world. And that power they received of the beast, it was to persecute and

kill the saints; for these ten kings were those ten horns upon the beast, that had seven heads. That is, these ten kings should receive power from the beast, to execute those ten persecutions upon the saints. Yet I would not have the reader to think that there were but ten kings, and no more, for ten kings did not last three hundred years. But if there were ten score kings, the spirit doth call them but ten, signifying those ten persecutions in the primitive times. For the beast had seven heads and ten horns, and these ten kings were those ten horns, and they received their power to persecute, and shed the blood of saints and martyrs of Jesus, from the seven heads, which is called a beast. So that the one hour that these ten kings received power from the beast, it was all the time of the ten persecutions, for they were the ten horns, as aforesaid. This you may see in verse 13. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. That is, seeing the beast had given them power as kings, to shed the blood of saints, they likewise proffer unto the beast their power and strength to serve him in what they can. And the service these ten kings must do the beast, it is to shed the blood of the saints; as you may see in verse 14.

Verse 14. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the lamb shall overcome them, for he is Lord of Lords, and King of Kings, and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. These ten kings aforesaid, are to make war with the Lamb, that is, they make war with the saints, and shed their blood. For these ten kings do execute the will of the beast,

in making war with the saints, for in making war with the saints, they may be said to make war with the Lamb.

And as the faith and patience of the saints did bear their cruel torments, to the terrifying of the souls of their persecutors, even whilst in this life; so that the sufferings of the saints with patience and chearfulness, for they have no other weapons of war but the weapon of spirit; that is to say, a breast-plate of righteousness, the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation, the sword of the spirit, these are the Lamb's weapons of war, and he doth furnish his saints with them, so that they shall be able to overcome all their enemies, who fight with spear, and shield, or with sword of steel, or gun; these are the devil's weapons of war, and he fighteth with the saints, with these and such-like weapons, and so kills the body, and hath no more to do. That is, he puts to death this natural life, which is called but killing the body, and hath no more to do. But the weapons of war the saints do use, they being spiritual, they kill the persecutors soul, and yet shed no blood. For as carnal do kill the natural life of man, and weapons shed his blood; so likewise those spiritual weapons afore-mentioned, do kill that spiritual life in the persecutors, with an eternal or second death, and yet shed no blood; and in this manner shall the Lamb overcome these ten kings, which ten kings do include all persecuting spirits whatsoever. For the Lamb being King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, he hath chosen his saints, and they are faithful to fight under his banner, for he hath called them for

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that purpose. And the Lamb being their king and captain, the saints shall certainly overcome their persecutors, and in this sense the Lamb shall overcome them.

CHAP. LXIV.

VERSE 15. And he saith unto me, the waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are people, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues.

I have opened this verse before, so that I need not speak any thing more of it here, but I shall pass by this, and go to verse 16.

Verse 16. And the ten horns thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire.

These ten horns are those ten kings aforesaid, they received power before from the beast to persecute the saints, and to make war with the Lamb; and now they receive power from God to hate the whore, and to fight against her spiritual power, as you may see in verse 17. For God hath put it into their hearts, to fulfil his will. Yet I would have the reader to mind, that these ten horns, or ten kings, do imply all wicked kings who are subordinate, or under the beast. For all wicked beasts are included in this one beast, and all idolatrous spiritual power is included in this one whore, or city Babylon. So that God will put it into the hearts of wicked kings, to put down the spiritual power of idolatry.

So that the Fifth-monarchy-men are mightily mistaken, thinking in themselves that those kings,

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or great persons that shall pull down the Pope's spiritual power, or any other spiritual power, that hath near affinity with the Popish worship, I say they are much mistaken. For God will put it into the hearts of wicked, reprobate men, to do his will; they shall hate the whore, and make her desolate and naked; that is, they shall smite her flesh with a sword of steel, and burn her with fire; that is, they shall utterly destroy her.

For burning with fire signifies utter destruction; and eating her flesh, it signifies the being well pleased in their minds, so that their minds doth feed upon the destruction of her; and in this sense they may be said to eat her flesh. Only this I do confess, that the Pope is that whore that must be - made desolate; for the same spirit of fornication concerning spiritual matters, or worshiping of idols, is in the Pope and others, as there was in other whores, who profess the same spiritual power as the Pope doth. For one spirit of idolatry hath run through the line of thein all in all ages, and the Pope succeeding after the ten persecutions, he is called by the spirit a whore, and the last whore.

And doth not she by her spiritual power sit upon many waters? which waters do signify multitudes of people, nations, and tongues; doth not she by her spiritual power and temporal both, sit almost upon all Europe? Doth not she sit upon almost all the beasts, that is, the kings of Europe? So that when this whore is made desolate, the world will be at an end. Only this I would have the Fifth-monarchy-men to mind, that they must be M m 2

wicked,